


She's a Riptide

by The_Huntress



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Elemental Magic, F/F, F/M, M/M, Minor Character Death, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2016-10-14
Packaged: 2018-03-20 10:55:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3647718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Huntress/pseuds/The_Huntress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lyric Pandore has spent her entire life in Coastal North Carolina. She's the voice of the school, she has her best friend for years beside her and she's in her last year of high school. Lyric was comfortable. When a new boy moves to town and tells her she's an Elemental Lyric is presented with a choice, stay with her comfortable life or give it up for her new adventure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a new story I wanted to try, and if people like it then I’ll be posting this and the Gray Area every week (At least I’ll try.) This story is only 5 parts (or more who knows?). Enjoy and Review please xx 
> 
> Warnings for this story: Language, Mentions of Recreational drug use. Supernatural tendencies.

The First thing Lyric heard was her alarm clock.

 

The first thing she ignored was also her alarm clock.

 

Needless to say, she was almost late on her first day to school.

 

“You know for a girl who does the morning announcements, you are almost always late.” Nathan said, crossing his arms. Lyric could tell that he was still kind of bitter that she was voted to be the voice of McArthur and he wasn’t.

 

“Hey Nathan, why don’t you do your job and turn my mic on?” She smiled just to spite him and wasn’t hurt in the slightest when he rolled his eyes.

 

Lyric waited 30 seconds after the final late bell to begin.

 

_“Good morning to students who are still used to waking up after 12 and teachers who don’t want to be here. It is currently 7:18 AM and time for us to chant to a piece of cloth. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.”_ Lyric stopped and played the recording of the Pledge being spoken before continuing, _“Don’t you just love conformity? Anyway, here’s our dotting Principal to go over the handbook you will lose in the next 30 minutes.”_ Lyric scooted away as Principal Brunner mouth ‘thin ice’ to her. Lyric just shrugged before placing her feet on the table. Nathan chastised at her because she was propping her feet where the equipment was but she just mouth ‘ _bite me’_ and scooted her feet further down the table.

 

After a draining 30 minutes of principal Brunner talking about all the reasons not to do anything in school, Lyric proceeded back to the mic.

 

_“For all of those who fell asleep during that, here’s a recap! Don’t do drugs, smoke, drink or gang-related things at school, or suffer ISS with Ms. Irons. Anyway, it is almost the end of our announcements so to the freshmen who brought too many school supplies, welcome to Hell, and the seniors who didn’t bring enough, Happy last first day. And everyone in between, have a great day of mandatory education.”_

Lyric turned off her mic and stood, stretching and cracking her spine. Nathan just grimaced at her as she grabbed her bag and shucked on her right shoulder.

 

“Nathan, you’re going to run out of coal the way you’re grilling me.” She smiled. “Same time, tomorrow.” She called as she was already out the door.

 

Lyric’s morning consisted boring teachers going over boring syllabuses. But when she walked into 4th Period that’s when things really got weird.

 

It started when her best friend ran up to her as soon as she walked through the door.

 

“LYRIC!” She yelled as she practically leaped into Lyric’s arms.

 

“Ellie…? What did we say about personal space?”  

 

Ellie took a step back. “Right, forgot you hated all types of physical contact. That’s very Scorpio of you.”

 

“You’re still into to zodiac?” Lyric questioned. “Figured you would’ve been back into Buddhism or something like that by now.”  

 

“I’m still Buddhist, I just think it’s really cool that people can tell your traits just on how the planets were aligned when you were born.” Ellie took her seat. “It’s brilliant.”

 

Lyric slid in the seat across her. “It’s bogus.”

 

“Fine then I guess you won’t get your ‘happy last first day’ gift.”

 

“Oh my god, how will I live with out my 500th Buddha statue?”

 

Ellie narrowed her eyes. “It’s not a Buddha statue. Do you always have to be a sarcastic piece of—? Hot guy, hot guy, 12 o-clock.”

 

“What?” Lyric looked ahead of her, past Ellie’s head.

 

Ellie smacked her hand that was resting on the table. “My 12 o-clock, your 6.”

 

Lyric stopped and turned around a little to see a boy. He looked pretty plain to Lyric. Brown eyes, medium length hair with small messy type curls. He looked like he used to be scrawny but filled out either during puberty or he started working out. You could definitely tell that he was a big personality by the way he smiled, all big with teeth showing as he talked to the teacher. And he was definitely Lyric’s type but she didn’t want to date anyone and Ellie knew that.

 

“Stop.”

 

“Stop what?”

 

“Trying to set me up with a guy, I told you about that.”

 

“Who said, he was for you he might be for me.”

 

“Ellie, you’re a lesbian.”

 

“Stop trying to know me.” Ellie said, looking past me at the new guy. “I’m going to tell him to sit with us.”

 

“El, don’t—“ but it was way too late as he was already heading over to our table.

 

“Hi!” Ellie greeted

 

The boy smiled at Ellie full teeth. Lyric tilted her head; _he’s got a nice smile_. Lyric thought to herself but then quickly shook off the thought.

 

“Hey, I’m Elena but people often call me Ellie.” Ellie smiled and offered her hand to the boy. Then gestured to Lyric. “And this is my best friend, Lyric, People often call her a bitch.”

 

Lyric gave Ellie a pointed glare, the boy laughed and reached out his hand for Lyric to shake.

 

“I’m sure that’s not quite true.” He said to her, smiling.

 

“You’d be surprised.” Lyric smiled back reaching for the hand.

 

“I’m—“ The boy tried to introduce himself but that was when the teacher decided to call the class to order.

 

He sat down next to Ellie, across from Lyric.

 

Lyric spent the next thirty minutes zoning in and out of consciousness while the teacher droned on and on about tectonic plates and rising temperatures. As soon the final bell rung students were out of the classroom. Ellie moved to pack her stuff.

 

“Hey, I’ve got to see Ms. Cordinski about her studio art class.”

 

“So you can make your own Buddha statues?” Lyric said, with mock excitement.

 

“Keep mocking Buddha, what goes around come around.”

 

“I thought that was Hinduism?”

 

Ellie just rolled her eyes and patted her shoulder. “I’ll meet you at your locker.” Her eyes darted to the boy, whose name she still didn’t know, then back to Lyric and mouth _talk to him_ then turned to walk away. Lyric held up her middle finger as she walked off.

 

“I still don’t know your name.” Lyric said, as the boy was packing away his stuff rather slowly.

The boy smiled. “It’s Leo.”

 

“Your name is Leo?” Lyric laughed. “Elle would freak. What’s it short for?”

 

He shook his head. “Nothing.”

 

“Nothing?” Lyric questioned. “I don’t believe that.”

 

“And why not?” he said as they walked out the room.

 

“Because no mother just names their kid Leo.”

 

“Mine did.”

 

“Whatever you say.” Lyric laughed. “But I’ll find out your secret.”

 

“Good luck with that.” He laughed.

 

“You don’t take a bus, do you? Because I think you missed it.” Lyric said, apologetically. She’d gotten caught up in the conversation she didn’t know how late it was.

 

“It’s fine, I walk anyway.” Leo shrugged.

 

“I can give you a ride if you want.”  Lyric countered. “Though, I must warn you my car is extremely old and it smells kind of weird but not weird like, I smell weird. The smell is some weird tea Ellie gets shipped from Tibet or some place like that.” Lyric stops walking when they were down the hall from her locker, which Ellie was standing in front of, “I’m babbling, aren’t I?”

 

“Yup, but don’t worry about it. It’s cute.” Leo shrugged.

 

“Well, lucky for you, I only do it around hot guys. Not that I’m saying you’re hot—well, I’m not saying your not hot either. Just that you’re not _not_ hot…” Lyric trailed off, Leo raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m going to shut up now.”

 

Leo chuckled as he and Lyric moved to where Ellie was standing.

 

“How’d it go with Mrs. Cordinski?” Lyric asked as she unlocked her locker.

 

Ellie’s eyes darted between her and the boy, who was leaning against the next locker. “It was fine, she’s putting me in the advanced class. It’s the push, I need to be Vice President of the Art Honor Society.” Ellie paused. “I never caught your name.” She prompted.

 

“Oh, It’s Leo.”

 

“Leo?! Is that your sign too?” Ellie pushed.

 

“Oh, no. I think I’m a Pisces.”

 

“A Pisces…” Ellie nodded then mumbled. “Most compatible with Scorpios…” That earned her a glare from Lyric.

 

“I’m giving Leo a ride home. You still need a ride?”

 

Ellie eyes darted between them again. “Oh, no.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“Yea, I’ll just get a ride from Hot Mark.”

 

“Do you even know Hot Mark?”

 

“Nope.” Ellie looked down the hall to where Mark was standing in front of his locker. “Hey, Hot Mark!” Mark jumped and turned to see who called him. “I’m Ellie! Can you give me a ride home?”

 

“Um, I guess…” Mark said, confused.

 

Ellie waved a hand at them and turned to walk away, Lyric grabbed her arm. “Ellie, don’t you dare get in a car with a stranger.”

 

Ellie pulled her arm away and skipped over to where Mark was. “I can’t hear you over my bad decisions.” Once down the hall, she hooked arms with Mark as they walked out the building.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to go check on her?” Leo asked.

 

“She’ll text me the license plate number. This is the 5th time she’s gotten in the car with a stranger since we’ve been in high school. She’s says in Buddhism, they believe everyone has the power to do the right thing and that gives her security.”

 

Silence fell in between them for a few moments before Leo burst out. “That’s idiotic.”

 

Lyric laughed. “You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve said that to her. But I learned to just let her do her thing.” Lyric slammed her locker closed. “You ready?”

 

**XXX**

 

The beginnings of their car ride consisted of mostly silence, though Leo injected a joke here and there, they mostly stayed silent, listening to Lyric’s vast playlist that went from K-pop to indie in a matter of seconds.

 

After a couple of minutes, Leo broke the silence.

 

“What song is this?” Leo asked.

 

“Oh, it’s Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy.”

 

“Oh… it’s a good song…”

 

“It’s ok, I know it’s very hippie.”

 

“No, I like it.” Leo smiled.

 

“Yea, she opened up for _Foster the People_ when went  to their concert during the summer. She was so good, best voice I’ve heard in a—“ Lyric’s car made a _Klunk!_ And began slowing down. “That’s weird. I just went to the mechanic yesterday.”

 

Leo wasn’t paying attention he was looking straight ahead.

 

Lyric diverted her attention straight ahead. 3 SUV’s sealed off the road ahead of them. 3 bodyguards got out and opened the door for 2 people. On of them was a man, he wore suit with a waistcoat but the main thing you noticed about his outfit was the pocket watch with the massive chain that crossed his body. The next was a woman, she was very pretty in an older businesswoman type of way but mainly she was just intimidating.

 

“Leo… do you know what’s going on?”

 

Leo sighed and pulled out his phone. After sending a quick text, he put it back and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Get out of the car.”

 

Lyric’s eyes bugged out. “So let me get this straight. You want to exit the safety of my car to confront the scary people with guns?”

 

“Precisely.” Leo smiled then opened the door.

 

“Ah, Mr. Valdez! Fancy seeing you here.” The woman said, with a rather large toothy smile that was more frightening than comforting.

 

“Gaea.” Leo nodded. “Just leave and nothing has to happen.”

 

“See, now I can’t do that.” Gaea paced. “How you guys caught wind of it, I’m not sure, but if it’s true that she is Poseidon’s kid then I need her. Seeing as though you stole the last one from me.”

 

“Percy wasn’t yours to begin with.” Leo countered. “And she doesn’t even know who she is.”

 

“All the better. They say it’s best to get a early start, isn’t that right Kronos.”

 

“Eleven…Ten…Nine.”

 

“My beloved hasn’t been the same since that crazy lady at your camp experimented on him.”

 

“Lupa has nothing to do with his condition. The extreme exposure to the radiation from your laser did.”

 

Kronos was sitting on the ground staring intently at his pocket watch. _“The clock never stops, never stops, never waits. We’re growing old it’s getting late.”_

“Annie waits…” Lyric whispered, mostly to herself.

 

“What?”

 

“That’s from a song, Annie waits, my dad used to play it for me when I had nightmares. You know, before he left forever.”

 

Gaea made that toothy grin that made Lyric shiver. “And how much do you know about your father.”

 

Lyric all of a sudden didn’t like how the conversation turned to her. All of a sudden it felt humid like ridiculously humid for the beginning of September.

 

“Umm, not much other than the fact he left me and my mom when I was 5, never saw him again.”

 

“Now, do you know why?” Gaea asked.

 

“Why does any deadbeat dad leave?”

 

“Though that’s true, it’s not the real reason.”

 

Lyric looked at her confused.

 

“She doesn’t know who she is.” Leo cut in. “Now I’m taking her to camp.”

 

“Just you?” Gaea laughed.

 

“It’s not just him.” Lyric heard a voice behind her. She turned and saw 3 guys standing behind them. The one who spoke had raven like hair and bright green eyes. He was definitely hot in the dorky kind of _I don’t know I’m hot_ kind of way.

 

The next boy was hot and you could definitely tell he knew it. Blond hair fashioned in a short, almost a buzz cut kind of way. His eyes were more sky blue and the only imperfection on his face was the small scar on his upper lip.

 

“Ah, Percy Jackson, come to escort your sister to camp?”

 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Percy asked.

 

“We don’t have time for that!” Leo interjected. “Get her out of here.”

 

“I’m sorry, I can’t let you do that.” Gaea said. Suddenly, there was a large jagged rock erupting from the ground. Flames erupted from Leo’s hands and aimed at Gaea and her men.

 

“Holy shit!” Lyric jumped back, wide-eyed. What the hell was going on?

 

“NICO!” Leo shouted, as the sky began to crack lightning. “Get her out of here.”

 

The third boy whose name was apparently Nico, ran up and grabbed Lyric by her waist.

 

Lyric thought she blacked out for a second and when she came to, they were in front of a cable van.

 

“Holy hell! how did we get here?!” Lyric said, trying to walk away but wobbling. Nico ran over to help her upright.

 

“Shadow travel.” He deadpanned.

 

“What the hell is that?”

 

“The ability to transport one’s self from different locations by using the shadows in the area.”

 

“You fucking teleport?” Lyric breathe heavily. “What are you guys? What the hell is going on?!”

 

The side door of the cable car opened and a blonde girl with tamed curls and piercing gray eyes poked her head out.  

 

“Annabeth, you deal with this.” Nico said before running off and disappearing in the shadows again.

 

 

**XXX**

When Leo came back to the car, Annabeth stormed up to him and the guys.

 

“I’m going to kill you guys for leaving me with a girl who knows nothing about us, but right now we need to get out of here. I sense Gaea and her men are regrouping so we need a really big head start.”

 

“Where is she?” Percy asked.

 

“Passed out in the front seat.” Annabeth shrugged. “I gave her a tranquilizer so she’d stop yelling.”

 

“Alright Leo you’re driving. I’m not dealing with that when she wakes up.” Percy and the rest of the gang climb into that back. Leaving Leo out, mouth agape.

 

**XXX**

 

Lyric woke up with a pain in her neck and a sick feeling in her stomach.

 

She sprung up but was instantly pulled back by the seatbelt snagging her. She looked over to her left to see Leo driving.

 

“Where the hell am I?” Lyric groaned.

 

“Currently?” Leo asked, Lyric nodded. “Maryland.”

 

“How long have we been driving?”

 

“Several hours.” Leo answered. “You’re surprisingly calm right now.”

 

“Oh, I have a ton of questions.” Lyric sighed. “But not for tonight.”

 

“You sure you have no questions…” Leo said, trailing off knowing she would crack.

 

“Ok, What are you?”

 

“You mean what are _we?”_

 

“Ok, last time I checked, I can’t shout flames out my hands, Human Torch.”

 

Leo laughed. “Well, of course not, you’re not a fire.”

“Excuse me?”

 

“Well, you maintain a normal temperature, and when you’re angry you don’t glow.” Leo shrugged.

 

“So what am I?”

 

“Well, we don’t know yet. But as a category we are Elementals.”

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“You know what a Pentagram is?”

 

“The devil sign?”

 

“Exactly, but it’s really not a ‘devil sign’. The circle on the outside represents the world and everyone in it. The star in the represents all of the elements.” They stopped at a red light and Leo pulled up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo of a pentagram. “Where the star meets the outer circle is an element, Earth, air, fire, water and spirit. Most people are born in the center, some people are born slightly near a point seem to be attached to it, like someone born near the fire point would be a fire fighter or an arsonist.” Leo laughed. “But some are born directly on the point, those are Elementals.” He gestures between him and Lyric.

 

“So you were born on the fire point, flame boy?”

 

Leo smiled. “Exactly, you got it.”

 

“And what do you think I am?”

 

“Gaea thinks you’re my sister, so you are probably a water.” Lyric turned around to the voice in the back. Percy rubbed his eye while Annabeth lay on his shoulder, still asleep.

 

“What are you on about?” Lyric asked

 

“What was you’re dad’s name?”

 

“Umm, my mom only talked about him once. His name was something weird. Posy… or some—“

 

“Poseidon?”

 

“Yea, that sounds about right.”

 

“Do you know who Poseidon is?” Leo asked.

 

“You mean, besides, a deadbeat dad?”

 

“He’s also one of the most powerful water elemental of all time.” Jason said, having woken up too. “My dad, Poseidon, and Nico’s dad were apart of this secret operative group called ‘The Big Three’ and for a while they were unstoppable. Then Nico’s dad had his older sister. She was a very powerful Earth Elemental and when they found out just how powerful, The Council killed her.”

 

“The Council?”

 

“Basically the people in charge of us, against our will mind you. If elementals are seen as dangerous then somebody marks you. And then a member of the Council is informed and they kill you.”

 

“If you, Nico and Percy are seen as so dangerous why aren’t you guy… you know.”

 

“We’re at a refugee camp.”

 

“Not really a refugee camp.” Percy interjects. Just teaches you how to control your powers so you can go back in the world.”

 

All of this started to hit Lyric at once. She suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe. She took heavy breaths like an anvil was pressed against her chest.

 

“Pull over.” She whispered.

 

Leo pursed his lips but pulled over anyway.

 

Lyric didn’t even wait for the car to come to a full stop before she was running out of it.

 

“Shit.” Leo muttered as he struggled out the car to follow Lyric. “Lyric wait!” Once he caught up with Lyric, he circled his arms around her waist and lifts her up so she couldn’t run.

 

“LET ME GO!” Lyric screamed.

 

“What are you running for?”

 

“This is too much!” Lyric yelled. “I had a life, Leo. I was the voice of the school, President of the theatre company, I had friends and I’m sure I would’ve had a boyfriend by the end of this week.” Leo narrowed his eyes at that. “Leo, what about Ellie? What is she going to do when all of a sudden her best friend since 2nd grade goes missing. Leo, what about my mom? My sisters? Do you give a shit about any of them?”

 

“Do you?” Leo asked back. “Let’s say I take you back to the school. You try to go through the year like a normal student, knowing you’re not. One day, you get angry, absolutely livid and there’s a massive tsunami in Tarboro, severely injuring some but killing hundreds, including Elle and your family. Would you be able to live with yourself then? Knowing that you were selfish enough to refuse training to pretend you’re normal?”  

 

Lyric locked her jaw and stared off into the hill that fell before her feet. If she really wanted to, she could just run down it and hide, they wouldn’t find her. Then she could go back home, to her mom and Elle. But she wasn’t moving, _why wasn’t she moving?_

 

“Let us help you.” Leo pleads. “You can still visit your family and Elle, but let us train you so no one gets hurt. Please.”

 

Lyric sighed as a single tear fell against her will, she nodded.

 

“Good, now lets get back in the car.”

 

**XXX**

The rest of the car ride was pretty uneventful. Lyric slept most of the time because Annabeth insisted she needed more drugs. Midway through Pennsylvania, she woke up wedged between Leo’s arm and chest. That was about as awkward as the ride got.

 

When they got to the camp, Lyric quickly realized it wasn’t really a camp, just a collection of buildings with a large courtyard in the middle, not unlike a university campus.

 

“Come on, let’s get you to the infirmary.” Annabeth said, half catching Lyric, who still couldn’t stand straight.

 

“I’ll take her, if you need me too.” Leo said.

 

“Nope, I’ve got it.” Annabeth smiled. “I’ll see you later, Perce.”

 

“Are you sure?” Leo asked.

 

“ _I’m sure.”_ She said, basically dragging Lyric away.

 

Leo sighed defeated and started to get his things out of the car. He felt eyes on him so he looked up to see Percy and Jason looking at him weird.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing.” Percy smirked.

 

“Ok, seriously what?”

 

“It’s just, do you like this girl?” Jason asked, eyebrow rose.

 

“What?! No! I just met her I don’t even know her.”

 

 

“I mean, you’ve laughed at everything she’s said—“

 

“Because she’s hilarious.”

 

“I’m just saying… this is the most you’ve smiled since Calypso.” Jason shrugs his bags unto his shoulder. “It’s nice.” He smirks before walking away with Percy, leaving Leo dumbfounded.

 

**XXX**

When Lyric wakes up next she hears voices.

 

“I don’t understand why I have to share _my_ room.” Lyric opens one eye to see Nico and an older man with a woman hanging off his arm. The man was crazy tall with a beard and long hair tied back in a bun. The women had serious gray eyes, she looked up at the man and smiled and when she smiled her expression turned almost wolfish.

 

“Because, there is no more rooms and you’re the only one with a single room.” The man said.

 

“Chiron, you know that’s because people don’t like me.” Nico said. “And I don’t like people.”

 

“You’ll survive.” The woman said, letting go of the man and walking out.

 

“Chiron please.” Nico begged.

 

“I’m sorry.” Chiron answers. At this moment, Lyric decides to groan so they are aware she’s awake.

 

“Glad you can join us, Lyric.” Chiron says. “Just in time, as well. Will checked you out and said you were all set, so Nico, here, is going to show you to your room.” Chiron turned to glare at Nico almost daring him to protest.

 

Nico just sighed and turned to walk out the door. “Let’s go.”

 

**XXX**

Lyric decided she was going to become Nico di Angelo’s best friend, no matter what.

 

If only she could get him to stop hating her first, that would be great.

 

As soon as Lyric moved into her new room, Nico moved to his side and hasn’t said anything to her besides the occasional heavy glare.

 

Lyric eyed the _bring me the horizon_ poster and decided to make conversation.

 

“Is this the kind of music you like?” Lyric asked. “I’m more of an alternative girl myself but I can appreciate their music. _Go to hell for heaven’s sake_ is one of my favorite songs.”

 

“ _Please_ stop talking to me.” Nico said, before turning away to finish his book.

 

_Maybe later…_ Lyric thinks.

 

Lyric’s gaze breaks from the window when she hears a knock at the door. She opens it to see Leo holding 2 bags.

 

“Hey.” She says, quietly.

 

“Hey, how you holding up?”

 

“You mean, besides the fact that I just found out that I’m a super human with the ability to make tsunamis? Pretty good, I suppose.”

 

Leo laughs. “Don’t be silly, you’re not trained enough for tsunamis. I’m sure you could make some kick ass waves though.”

 

Lyric laughed at that, hard, harder than she’s laughed in the past few exhausting days.

 

“Well, some of the girls came together to give you some clothes, bathing things etc. I think everything thing’s your size so you should have no problems. I’ll come get you tomorrow for breakfast then your first training session.”

 

“Alright.” Lyric said, leaning against the doorframe.

 

“Alright.” Leo smiles. “See you then.”

 

“See you then.” Lyric smiles, watching Leo as he walks down the hall.

 

Lyric collapses on her bed arms spread. Though she’s not tired, she’s anything but tired. She felt, exhilarated. She spent her whole life feeling comfortable, never realizing she wanted a change. Now she has it, she can’t help the giant grin that spreads across her face. For the first time she feels enthusiastic about what’s going to happen.

 

She feels excited.

 

She feels _free._

 

 


	2. Stay Golden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Alright, show off.” Lyric sighed. She tried to focus on the bottle just like Percy did. 
> 
> “You see this vein right here?” Percy said, tapping her forehead with a pen. “You’re trying to hard.” 
> 
> “Then how am I supposed to try, Yoda?”

Lyric woke up that morning the same she always did, running late.

 

“No bother rushing.” Nico said, reading his book while Lyric scrabbled to find clothes. “You already missed breakfast.”

 

Lyric narrowed her eyes. “Any particular reason why you didn’t wake me?”

 

Nico just shrugged and returned to his book.

 

As Lyric was running down the halls, looking for the training center, she realized something major.

 

She was lost.

 

Which was predictable seeing as though she was in a random building and no one looked particular helpful. She’s pretty sure she’s been running in circles.

 

“You look lost.” Lyric turned when she heard the sound of a voice. She turned toward the woman in the doorway with caramel skin, warm brown eyes, and a soft smile. She looked at Lyric with a mix of worry and amusement.

 

 

“What was your first clue?” Lyric asked.

 

“The fact this is your 3rd time running past my garage.” The lady smiled. “You new?”

 

“Yup. Just got here yesterday, I was supposed to go to training after breakfast but I woke up late and missed breakfast, now I can’t find the training center.”

 

“Oh, you don’t want to go training and you haven’t eaten anything, you’ll crash in minutes. Luckily for you, I packed a lunch and I’m not going to show you where the training center is until you eat the whole thing.”

 

Lyric looked around before following the nice lady into the ominous garage.

 

“Alright, so what’s your name?” The woman asked.

 

“Elisa lírica.” Lyric shrugged. “I go by Lyric though.”  

“Ah, _hablas español?”_

_“Sí , desde que era una niña”_ Lyric mumbled. “What about you?” 

“Esmeralda.” She smiled and held out her hand for Lyric to shake then disappeared into her office. She came back with a lunch box and tossed it to Lyric. “Here you are, you eat that and I’ll text my son so he can show you were the training center is.”

 “Thank you for your help.” Lyric smiled. She watched Esmeralda work before she started to physically itch with questions. “So what are you?”  

“Human…” Esmeralda answered slowly.  

“No, I mean your power you. Are you a fire, water—“  

“Spirit.” Esmeralda smiled. “Spirit Elementals are tricky because there is no set power you can have. Like if you’re a fire elemental you have the ability to control fire, same with water, earth and air. Spirits however can be anything, for example, I fix things.”

 “What do you mean?”

 “Meaning you can hand me any broken machine and I’ll automatically know how to fix it.” Esmeralda smiled warmly. “It just comes to me like a second nature.”

 “What about the other Spirits?” Lyric asked.  “Well, like I said, spirits are tricky. Annabeth is super smart, Octavian and Rachel can see the future, or maybe you have really good leadership skills like Chiron and Reyna. Or you can shift into animals like Lupa and Frank—“

 “Wait what?”

 “It’s weird, I know.” Esmeralda laughed. “But trust, end of this month you’re going to forget that there was even a normal way to live life.” She smiled before walking towards Lyric. “I called my son he’s on the way to show you too the training center.”  

“Thanks again, Esmeralda.” Lyric smiled. 

“No problem _, novia_ ” Esmeralda replied. At that moment, there was a knock at the door. “That must be him.”

 Lyric looked towards the door, and with the luck she was having this morning she shouldn’t have been surprised it was Leo.  “Hey, my baby.” Esmeralda smiled, hugging Leo. “Have you met Lyric? _Es muy bonita , ¿no? Me gusta , deberías invitarla a salir .”_  

“Ma!” Leo said pulling away from his mother’s grasp. “She speaks Spanish!”

 “Oh, I know.”  

“How do you know?” Lyric asked, tilting her head in confusion.  

“It was on your file.” Leo said, blushing hotly… a little too hot… 

“ _Miel,_ you’re smoking.” She said, trying to put out his arms. “Now, calm down and get out of here, you’re going to burn down my garage.”  

Lyric followed Leo out the door as he started up the hallway.  “Sorry about that, I know my mom can be a bit overwhelming.”  

“No, I love her.” Lyric laughed.

 “That’s because you two are just alike.”

 “I’m going to take that as a compliment.” Lyric smiled, falling into stride with Leo. “You’re mom’s cool.”

 “Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t come get you this morning. I just figured Nico would be a decent enough roommate and show you where things were, not to mention wake you up. Though I shouldn’t have expected that either, that kid sleeps like the dead.” Leo came to a spot at a complete separate wing of the building. “Here’s the training center, Percy’s waiting for you in the Room 1.”  

“Thanks again, Leo.” Lyric smiled. “It’s been a real slice.” She saluted him before walking into the training wing.

* * *

“You want me to do what?” Lyric said, eyebrows practically at her hairline.

 “Make the water in that bottle, come out of the bottle” Percy said, crossing his arms.

“Alright.” Lyric said, dumping the water out of the open window.  

“Thanks for that.” Percy scoffed. “Smart ass.”

 “Any other pointless things you want me to try and do next.” Lyric paced. “Maybe you could teach me how to shoot rainbows out my ass.”

 “No, I’m not Iris.” Percy laughed. Lyric looked at him with a face of disgust. He pulled out another water bottle. “This isn’t some pointless magic, it’s who you are. Just try it.”  

“This is bullshit.” Lyric sighed. “You do it.” She looked up, pushing the bottle towards Percy.

 “This isn’t about me, I’m trained.”

 “If I’m going to learn then I should at least be able to see it in action.”

 “Alright fine.” Percy laughed. Lyric watched as he concentrated on the bottle until the water shot out of it and stayed in the air. Lyric’s eyes widened as he slowly began to put the water back in the bottle. “You try.” He smiled, pushing the bottle toward her.

 “Alright, show off.” Lyric sighed. She tried to focus on the bottle just like Percy did.

 “You see this vein right here?” Percy said, tapping her forehead with a pen. “You’re trying to hard.”  

“Then how am I supposed to try, Yoda?”

 “Do you like the beach?”  

“Random…” Lyric pointed out. “But yes, I love the beach.”  

“Elementals have a natural habit of being happy in the places closest to their element.” Percy explained. “Leo likes burning buildings, Jason likes airplanes or mountain peak, Grover and Juniper just like being outdoors, and Water Elementals like the beach.”  

“You’ve lost me on the point you were making.”  

“You ever play that game when you were a kid where you would stand on the surf while the wave washed away, and the sand would shift and make it feel like the ground moved, so you’d pretend you could control the sea?”

 Lyric smiled. “Yea.”  

Percy pushed the water bottle towards her. “Do it.”

 Lyric looked at the bottle, trying to will the water out. All of a sudden, a calm feeling washed over her like autumn on the beach and she closed her eyes.  She opened when she heard Percy sputtering. She held back her laughter when she saw Percy drenched in water.  

“What happened?” Lyric asked.  

“You.” He smiled, gesturing towards the now empty bottle. “Nice going, Skywalker.”

 “I did that?” She asked, he nodded. “Fuck yea! Come on, what’s next?”

* * *

“Thanks for taking me back to my room, Will, I never would’ve found it by myself.” Lyric said, as she walked in her room, Will following her in.  

“No problem really, People forget that we all used to be new here.”

 “You never told me what yours was.”  

“My what?”  

“Your power, you told me you were a Spirit but Spirits have all sorts of powers so what is it?”  

“I heal people.”

 “How so?”  

“Like if you cut your arm now, I could heal it.”

 “No shit!” Lyric exclaimed, presenting her arm. “Do it!”

 “I’m not cutting your arm just to heal it.”  

“Why’d you have to tease me like that?” Lyric said, they both laughed loudly.  

“Can you guys have the dumbest conversation ever somewhere else?” A third voice chimed in. They looked over to see Lyric’s gloomy roommate, Nico, who hadn’t moved since they talked that morning though he was farther in his book.

 “I didn’t know Nico was your roommate.”  

“We share a room, yes, though the mate part, I plan on being his best friend by the end of the week.” Lyric smiles at Nico’s horrified face.  

“Ah, Nico’s not that bad.” Will said, walking over and ruffling Nico’s hair. “He may act big and bad but he’s just a softie.”  

“Please go away.” Nico sneered, narrowing his eyes at Will as if trying to look menacing but Lyric didn’t miss the flush that suddenly dawned his face. She was going to have fun with that.  

“Alright, I’ll see you later, Will.”

 “Okay, and if you need help finding anything just bang on the wall, I’m right next door.” Will called as he exited.  

“Will do.” Lyric replied and waited to hear the click to show that the door was shut. “So, Will huh?”  

“What about him?” Nico stammered, blush filling his cheeks.

 “Nothing, he’s pretty cool. He walked me here because Percy had to go meet Annabeth and I didn’t know how to get back.” Lyric smiled. “What do you think?”

 “I don’t think anything.”  

“Nico, I know you have a monster sized crush on him.” Lyric replied. “I’m very intuitive on these things, it’s like a sixth sense.”

 “Knowing when someone’s into someone else?” Nico asked.  

“Yep.” Lyric responded. “Just like how I know you used to have a big crush on Percy for a long time but recently got over it, I’m guessing that was when you met Will.”  

“How did you know that?” Nico demanded. “Who told you?”

 “No one had to tell me, I told you I’m good with these things.”

 “So you know about Leo’s obvious crush on you?”  

“Leo doesn’t have a crush on me.” Lyric shrugged. “He may be attracted to me, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was, but Leo has other things to worry about. So do I.”  

“What do you have to worry about?”

 “Dangerous people trying to take me because I’m special for some reason, dealing with the fact that I have a long lost brother all while trying to deal with it without my best friend—Oh, my god, Ellie!” Lyric said suddenly dawning on her that she’s been missing for an entire day and didn’t call her best friend. She grabbed some shoes and headed out the door. “This conversation isn’t over.”

 “Yea it is.” She heard as she run out the door.  

* * *

 

On the search for a phone, Lyric ran into Leo. Literally ran into him.  

“OOF!” Lyric huffed before falling on the ground.

 “How come every time someone finds you, you’re running in the halls.”  

“Because I don’t know where anything is.” Lyric shrugged. “This time I’m looking for a phone or something.”  

“You can use mine but it’s in my room.”  

“Alright.” Lyric replied. “Lead the way.”

 The walk to Leo’s room was short so they spent a majority of the time in comfortable silence.  When they got to the room Lyric sat in the desk chair, Leo handed her the phone. “Here, I’ll just be right here.” He said, pointing behind him. Lyric nodded and hastily typed in the number.  

_“Hello?”_

“Elle, Don’t scream.”  

_“Lyric, you rotten piece of shit! What the fuck is the matter with you? Why the fuck did you run away.”_

“Whoa! I thought you didn’t curse like that because it brings forth bad energy?”  

_“Let the bad energy come! Why did you just leave like that?”_

“I know, but things are difficult and I don’t know if I can explain it.” Lyric sighed. “How’s my mom?”  

_“Strangely calm, she didn’t even call the police she said she knew this would’ve happened on day.”_

“Good, That’s Good.”  

_“Lyric, What’s going on?”_

“You know, you can tell her if you want?” Leo chimed in.  

“Really?” Lyric asked, Leo nodded. “Ok, Elle. I’m going to tell you some things that won’t make sense but trust that I’m not crazy.”  

_“You were already crazy before, it can’t get any worse.”_

“Elle listen, I don’t know how to explain this over the phone so I’m going to do it very dumbly.” Lyric said. “Remember when we used to watch The Last Airbender together?”  

_“Yes, we still do that.”_

“Well, it’s kind of real.” Lyric shrugged. “And I’m kind of on of them.”

  _“Are you fucking with me right now?”_

 “Nope, I made water come out of a bottle today with my mind.” Lyric sighed. “It’s kind of weird and really freaky… and I’m scared.” Lyric felt an involuntary tear escape her eye. Leo is up in seconds putting a hand over hers and rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.  

_“Okay… okay, now I know this is serious. The last time you cried was 6 th grade.” _

“I know!” Lyric sighed. “You know I hate feeling things.” 

_“That I do know.”_ Ellie blew out an exasperated breath _“So is that it? I’m not going to be able to see you again?”_

“Well, What I’ve been told is that once I learn control you can visit me, but I still have a lot to learn.”  

_“Then get your training.”_ Elle sighed. _“And you better learn fast, because I need to see you. I’m sorry but I have to go… I have a date.”_  

“With who?”  

_“Hot Mark’s sister, Malia, who is even hotter.”_ Elle replied. _“I’ll talk to you soon.”_

“Yea, I’ll talk to you later.”  

_“_ _Stay gold, Ponyboy.”_

“Alright, Weirdo, bye!” Lyric smiled, hanging up the phone.  

“Nice to see you smiling.” Leo commented after a few minutes of comfortable silence. “You haven’t smiled since you’ve been here.”

 “What do you mean? I smile all the time.”   

“Yea, but not a real one.” Leo shrugged. “This one just seems more genuine… It’s nice.”   

“Thanks, I guess.” Lyric smirked. “Come on, It’s time for lunch and I’m starving.”  

* * *

“You’re staring.” Annabeth said, offhandedly eating a pile of grapes.

 Leo snapped his eyes to Annabeth. “At what?”

“You know at what?” Percy replied. “You’ve been watching Lyric for the past 10 minutes.”

 “I’m just trying to figure out why she’s sitting with Will.” Leo sighed. “I mean we rescued her, right? She should be with us!”  

“She’s allowed to make her own friends.” Jason supplied. “Besides, some of us haven’t been the most welcoming.”

Everyone turned and faced Nico, who was more into his book then the conversation at hand.  “What?” Nico said, looking up.

 “Were you mean to Lyric?” Annabeth asked.  

“No!” Nico replied. Everyone gave him a dull stare. “I wasn’t! I just didn’t help her or anything.”  

“Why not?” Jason glared. 

“Because I didn’t think it was my responsibility.” Nico stared back, more intensely. “Leo’s the one with a crush on her, let him deal with her.”  

“I don’t have a crush on her.” Leo snapped. He was met with dull looks from everyone. “I don’t!”  

“Yea, ok.” Piper said, rolling her eyes. 

“Are you trying to die today, Pipes?”

“Don’t threaten my girlfriend.” Jason said, dully, not serious at all.

 “I’m about to threaten you too.”

 “Who are we threating?” Everyone look up to see Lyric standing behind Leo. 

“No one.” Leo said giving a pointed look to everyone at the table as if daring them to say something from their last conversation to her. Lyric just shrugs and straddles the bench of the lunch table, Making Leo immediately aware of how close she is to him, and how it doesn’t really bother him, and how she smells faintly like strawberries… Okay, he needs to quit while he’s ahead. 

“Hey, sorry I ditched you back there. I was in line behind Will and we started talking about music and he said that Fall Out Boy’s new stuff is better than the old stuff. And I said that they’re new stuff is good but you don’t just shit on the classics, you know?”  

“You’re really into music?” Jason pointed out.  

“Yea, I want to be a Vocal teacher.”  

“Can you sing?” Piper inquired.  

“I’m okay, I guess.” Lyric shrugged. “Enough to know what sounds good.”  

“That’s cool.”  

“Eh.” Lyric sighed. “So, Yoda, When’s our next training session, because I kind of want to go take a nap.” 

“We can do tomorrow.”  

“Alright.” Lyric turned to walk away.  

“Wait!” Leo called before his brain caught up to what he was doing. “Let me walk you to your room?”  

“Ok, you’ll have to give me a sec though, I’ve got to ask Will to let me use his Vinyl player later.” She smiled at him before jogging away. 

“What are you doing?” Jason asked.  

“What do you mean?”  

“I mean, if you don’t like her like you say you don’t, then why are you offering to walk her to her room?”

 “I’m being friendly.”  

“Yes, because friends totally stare at you like you hung the moon and lowkey smell you.”  

“You do that with Percy.”  

“Yea, Percy’s my bro.” He said reaching out his hand to Percy; both fist bumping without looking at each other.

 “Yea, Ok.”  

“I’m just saying it’s ok to admit you like this girl.” Jason sighed. “I mean, I know it hasn’t been that long since Calypso—“  

“Stop.” Leo said, gaze suddenly turning into a deathly glare. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

 “Leo you have to—“  

“I don’t have to do anything!” He snapped.  

“Hey.” Lyric smiled. “You ready?”  

“Yea lets go.” Leo said turning his back on his friends.  

* * *

The walk back to the room had an uncomfortable air to it, Lyric didn’t know why.  But she was definitely going to find out.  

“Hey stop.” Lyric said, moving in front of Leo. “What’s wrong?”

 “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

 “And we don’t have to.” Lyric said. “I’m not going to push but you can talk to me.” Lyric shifted from foot to foot. “Did I do something?”

 “What?!” Leo said, shocked. “No! Lyric, you’re perfect.”  Lyric huffed, taken aback by the comment. “Shut up.” “I mean, you’re super nice and talented. And, not to mention, Outgoing. You’ve been here less than 24 hours and you already have more friends than me.”  

“You have good friends.” Lyric smiled.  “They’ll be your friends too, if you’ll hang out with us.”

 “Sorry, I just thought you guys wouldn’t want to hang out with me.”

“Why not?”  “I don’t know.” Lyric said, continuing to walk down the hallway. “I did kind of freak out on the ride here I just thought you guys would think I’m crazy.”  

“No one thinks you’re crazy, we had our moments when we found out.” Leo smiled. “Hell, Piper threw a brick at Jason.”

 “Really?” Lyric laughed.  

“Yea, he got a concussion and everything.” Leo smirked.  

“They’re dating now though, right?”  

“Yea, she basically wouldn’t leave his side when he passed out, they’ve always been inseparable.”  

“What about you?”

 “What about me?”

 “Are you dating anyone?” Lyric inquired.

 “I’ve only dated one girl in my entire life.” Leo sighed. “It wasn’t a happy ending.” Leo paused, deciding that was all he was going to digress.  

“That’s too bad.” Lyric sighed, not asking him to be more specific. Leo was really grateful for that. “The only guy I ever dated was in 6th grade and he forgot we were dating after a week.”

 Leo snorted. “Really? You haven’t dated anyone after that?”  

“Shocking?”  

“Yea, you’re gorgeous.” Leo blurted. Lyric raised an eyebrow at him. “I mean it’s just hard to believe you’ve never dated anyone.”  

“That’s because I’m extremely bad at it.” Lyric said. “If I’m into a guy I’ll just dedicate my time into being his friend. And if my sarcastic personality and depressive demeanor doesn’t scare him off, we’ll end up being really good friends and I never say how I’m feeling.”  

“Maybe you should just be up front with people then.”

 “How so?”  

Leo stopped to look her in the eye. “Like if you like someone then just tell them you’re into them, I just don’t the big deal.”  

“So every girl you’ve liked you’ve told them.”

 “Yea.”  

“Even Piper?”  

“Uh…” 

“What about that weird thing you had for Annabeth for like 2 weeks?”  

“How do you even know about tha—“  

 

“And that weird girl with white hair and really blue eyes, always looks at you like she’s plotting her death?” Lyric asked. “Did you tell her too?”  

 

“Ok 1, I don’t know how you know any of this information.”

 

“I’m very intuitive.”

 

“2, I didn’t even like Chione, I just had a weird dream about her in 8th grade and it still makes me uncomfortable.”

 

Lyric snorted and stopped in front of her door. “Well, this was an extremely long but satisfying walk.” Lyric smiled. “We should hang out more.”

 

“Yea, definitely.”

 

“I’ll see you at dinner, right?”

 

“I’ll be there.”

 

“And I’ll sit with you this time.” Lyric said. “I mean, if it’s cool with your friends.”

 

“Absolutely, do you need me to walk with you later?”

 

“No, I’ll find it fine this time, thanks though.”

 

“Alright, see you later.”

 

“Stay golden!” She yelled, closing her door, between them.

 

* * *

 

Leo all but sprinted to the Mess Hall and sat at the table where his friends were seated.

 

“Okay, Lyric’s eating dinner with us so under no circumstances can you guys be rude or embarrassing.”

 

“I’m never rude.” Nico shrugged.

 

“That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard.”

 

“And we never embarrass you.” Piper added.

 

“Yea, you mostly just do that to yourself.”

 

“Shut up, Rachel.”

 

“Make me.”

 

“The point is,” Annabeth said, immediately taking control of the table. “That you shouldn’t be worried, we’re your friends and if you really like this girl we like her too.”

 

“I don’t like her.”

 

“Then why did you just yell at us?” Jason asked.

 

“Because she already thinks you don’t like her that’s why she didn’t sit with us at lunch. I want her to feel like she has friends here, I mean, we were all new once.”

 

“And that’s the only reason you want to help her?” Jason asked. “The kindness of your heart?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Bullshit.” Nico snorted.

 

“Nico, I will go over to Will right now and tell him exactly how you feel about him.” Leo threatened.

 

“I don’t feel anything.”

 

“Nico, we’ve all read your diary.” Jason shrugged.

 

“Ok 1, I’m not an 11 year old girl I do not have a diary, I just write down what I do.”

 

“Ok, so you didn’t spend a page and a half writing about his hair and the other page on how soft you think his tan skin would be or did we just imagine that?” Reyna piped, uninterested in everything other than the book she was reading.

 

“This is such a major invasion of privacy, and I will kill all every last one of you violently if any of this conversation is ever repeated.” Nico said coldly, though it didn’t have its usual effect because his face was beat red.

 

“Aww, leave Nico alone.” Juniper smiled over the plant she was treating at the moment. “I think it’s great and perfectly healthy for him to have a crush and a diary. We all need to digress sometimes especially in the world we live in and a crush is the only normal teenage thing he has right now, let him live. Besides he can’t be any worse than Percy when him and Annabeth weren’t dating.”

 

“I haven’t said anything this entire time, why am I being attacked?” Percy asked.

 

“Yea, this isn’t about Percy or Nico, this is about Leo needing to admit that he likes this girl so we can all move on.”

 

“I don’t like her!”

 

“Who do we not like?” Everyone looked up to see Lyric standing there, smiling and holding a bowl of grapes.

 

“Nothing, no one!” Leo said, a little too quickly and a little too loud. In his peripheral vision he could see his friends snickering.

 

“Okay, weirdo.” Lyric said, sitting down, draping her legs over Leo’s. “I’m exhausted, I didn’t sleep well last night and I didn’t even get to take a nap, so that’s messing up my appetite and I can’t eat a lot so all I got is grapes and I don’t even want all of them so you’re going to share with me. Deal?”

 

Leo raised an eyebrow at her and shrugged. “Yea, deal.”

 

“Sweet, and I’m going to steal some of your fries now.”

 

“I don’t remember that being part of the deal.”

 

“Tough noodles, dude.” Lyric smiled.

 

“What kind of phrase is that?” Percy joked.

 

“Mine, you jerk.” She laughed, throwing a grape at Percy.

 

As Leo watched Lyric and Percy joke and make fun of each other, her laughing with the others and trying to pinch Nico’s cheeks only to get her hand swatted away, all he could focus on her legs draped on his. How his hand migrated on its own to her knee, holding her there. And he thought this is exactly where they should be.

 

This is exactly where they should be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Review Please! I’ll try to be quicker with updates but I’m in college so…


	3. So your crush is still obsessed with his deceased ex…- A guide to fucking up a new friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I just figured since everyone’s looking at me weird I was just going to eat in my room.”
> 
>  
> 
> “Lyric, don’t be ridiculous. Whatever happens you’re still our friend and you still have a spot at our table. So come back and sit down.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is long overdue. Very sorry been so busy with work and school I'm going to try to update all my stories while I'm on break. thanks for being loyal, stay golden!

After a few months, Lyric was starting to get a hang on this avatar thing.

 

She was waking up early in the morning, which is a thing that never happened before. She was exercising, another thing that never happened. And to top it off she was starting to become happy. She was happy at Half Blood, a lot happier than she was at home.

 

But this still wasn’t home to her and she still missed things about North Carolina, The oceanfront, always being greeted by happy people, but most of all Ellie who was currently yelling in her ear.

 

 _“Hey Lyric!”_ Ellie said through the phone loudly, Lyric’s mom had mailed her things a while ago giving Lyric access to the outside world via her phone and laptop. “ _How’s superhero camp?”_

“Ok, one, it’s not superhero camp, it’s a refugee camp where elementals are trained on how to use their powers. And two, It’s going great, I’m really starting to like it here.”

 

 _“That’s great, Lyric!”_ Ellie exclaimed. _“How’s everyone?”_

“Great, Percy’s been training me, so I’ve been getting better. Will’s been teaching me how to play a couple of songs on the guitar and listen to this!” Lyric exclaimed excitedly before turning to Nico. “Hey Nico, How are you today?”

 

Nico looked up from his book. “Fine. How are you?”

 

“I’m great!” Lyric smiled. “See El, We’re up to small talk! Next thing you know we’re going to be sharing trade secrets and painting each others nails.”

 

“That’s not happening.” Nico replied, rolling his eyes.

 

_“While I’m glad to know Nico isn’t secretly plotting your murder anymore. He wasn’t exactly who I was trying to ask about.”_

“What do you mean?” Lyric said, confused.

 

Ellie sighed loudly into the phone. _“I’m trying to ask you about Leo.”_

“What about him?” Lyric sighed; hoping that playing dumb will get her out of this conversation. It didn’t.

 

_“You know what I’m talking about. I mean you obviously like him so how is everything on that front.”_

“Elle, we both have a lot of work to do and I don’t know, a relationship isn’t really in my forecast right now.”

 

_“I understand but I think the two of you would be good together. Have since the first day of school. Though I didn’t know he was undercover and trying to whisk you off to Last Airbender camp but still I think you should go for it.”_

“I don’t think so Elle, I’m really busy—“

 

_“At least try, Lyric.”_

“Alright, fine.” Lyric sighed. “I’ll talk to you later, Ellie.”

 

“ _Love you, bye!”_ Elle said on the line excitedly.

 

“Bye.” Lyric hung up the phone before falling backwards on her bed and groaning into her pillow.  

 

She heard Nico sigh deeply before asking, “Are you okay?” He said it like it was painful to talk to people about there emotions.

 

“I’m fine, thanks for asking though.” Lyric smiled. “I know how hard it is to care under all that teenage angst.”

 

“I don’t have angst just anxiety.” Nico sighed. “You know… if you have a thing for Valdez you should just tell him. He’s cool so even if he didn’t like you back, which I seriously doubt, you guys would still be friends.”

 

“While I appreciate the advice its kind of Pot and Kettle don’t you think?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, you obviously like Will but you don’t speak to him.” Lyric shrugged.

 

“That’s because I don’t like Will.”

 

“And Denial is just a river in Egypt.” Lyric rolled her eyes. “Got it.”

 

“Even if I did like him, which I don’t.” Nico pointed out which made Lyric use all her will power to not role her eyes again. “Guys like him don’t go for guys like me.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“I mean guys like him go for the nice people like head cheerleader or student body president. Not the gangly kid with enough angst for a teen vampire novel.” He sighed.

 

“Aw, Nico.”

 

“Stop! I can sense you starting to feel sorry for me so stop it.”

 

“Too late, my pity is setting in.” Lyric moved over to sit next to him on his bed. “And you’re wrong by the way. So wrong.”

 

“About what?”

 

“About you not being Will’s type.” Lyric smiled, nonchalantly. “As the only person in this room that actually talks to him. I can assure you that you definitely are his type.”

 

“…What?” Nico’s brain shut off for a couple of seconds.

 

“Yea, weird I know but Will’s totally into that Emo looking faze. He was telling me his celebrity crush is Brendon Urie and not even like now Brendon Urie like early 2000s, _I write sins_ Brendon.” Lyric shrugged.

 

“What?!” Nico was fully alert now.

“I know right, Brendon Urie is way hotter now. I told him that too.”

 

“No, what do you mean? Will likes me?”

 

“Yea, definitely.” Lyric said, getting up to leave. “But it’s something you should talk to him about.”

 

“Can—“

 

“I know you’re going to ask me for his number so you can text him, and I refuse, you need to _talk._ In _person_.”

 

“You know I hate human interaction.”

 

“Tough cookies.” Lyric patted him on the head. “I have training until 5 so when I get back I want full details.” She smiled before turning and leaving Nico in a daze.

 

**XXX**

“So what’s on the menu today, Perce?” Lyric smiled, walking into the training gym. “I almost can fill a bucket of water with my mind.”

 

“You gotta speed you up so… today you’re fighting.”

 

“Like fighting you?”

 

“No, You’re fighting me.” Lyric heard behind her. She only had a split second to turn and realize it was Leo before a wave of flame was heading right toward her.

 

“Whoa!” Lyric yelped before kicking out her legs to duck properly under the flames. “What the hell, Leo!” but he was already lunging at her.

 

“Lyric, you need to protect yourself!” she heard Percy yell from the corner as she used both of her legs for push Leo off of her. She rolled back on her feet and stared at Leo with betrayed eyes but he just looked like he was thinking and analyzing every move she made. It was almost cold the way his eyes met hers for a brief second, he looked at her as if she was not a friend but a threat.

 

Lyric had a brief second before he lunged at her again. Now, Lyric wasn’t in complete tune with her element just yet but when it came to hand to hand combat she was unstoppable. She blocked, kicked and ducked at Leo’s advance when suddenly arms erupted in flames again. Lyric felt the same surge of energy she felt that first day with Percy. The pipes in the room burst and soon the room around them was a 3-foot pool. Leo was still advancing with the flames from his hand so without thinking, she made the water ascend and hold his hands, outstretched to his sides. Leo looked at he shocked, she rendered him motionless and powerless without the use of his powers. Lyric suddenly felt powerful, too powerful. So powerful that it started to manifest as joy in her. She felt she wasn’t in control anymore as her hands began to turn white. She felt Percy putting a hand on her shoulder and shouting her name, that was enough to put her out of her trance and she caught a glimpse of herself in the wall mirror of the training wall. Her hair was floating up on the ends and her eyes were almost completely gray. She looked over to Leo, who was obviously in pain and now being held by crystalized ice where the water once was.

 

“Lyric, you need to stop.” Percy screamed. “You’re hurting him.”

 

That hit Lyric like a gunshot. She never wanted to hurt anyone, especially Leo, who was her first friend there. When she released the hold she had on the Elements it felt like a blow to the stomach and she felt herself fall backward. She looked over at Leo who was lying on the ground looking at his hands that had turned purple.

 

Lyric stood up, Percy and Leo looked at her in horror. Suddenly she felt like a freak, which was rare since everyone there was a freak. You’d have to be crazy weird for anyone there to look at you weirdly.

 

“I-I gotta get out of here.” She said before scrambling to her feet and practically sprinting out the training rooms.

 

**XXX**

“And I swear he looked at me like I was a freak. Like I was an anomaly and a place filled with anomalies. A freak, Ezzy!” Lyric paced up and down the garage where Esmeralda was smiling at her over the toaster she was fixing.

 

“Listen _mija,_ I wouldn’t worry as much as you are right now. When in a fight, Elementals tend to get out of control in order to protect ourselves. Its only nature that this happened, Leo should understand he almost set the building on fire when he started.”

 

“I’m telling you Ez, the way he looked at me wasn’t like I was something normal.”

 

“I’m sure you’re overreacting.” Esmeralda smiled at lyric handing her a container of sliced oranges. She always had a thing about feeding the distraught kids that came to her garage. Lyric thought it was very Hansel and Gretel. “Worrying about my son thinking you’re weird is the least of your worries. You should be worrying about visitor’s day, is your mom coming? I’d love to meet her.”

 

“Visitor’s what?”

 

 

“Visitor’s day. It’s the day when people’s mortal parents and friends come. It’s tomorrow. Did no one tell you?”

 

“I guess not, I’ve gotta call my mom. Thanks for talking to me Ezzy.”

 

“No problem, _mija._ Whenever you need to talk, you know exactly where I am.”

 

“Alright.” Lyric said, with a soft smile before running out the room.

 

**XXX**

“I’m telling you Chiron it was exactly the same as last year.” Percy paced in Chiron’s office while Leo sat in the corner with his bandaged hands. “The eyes, the hair, skin. It was the same thing that happened with Calypso.”

 

“Calypso was a True Elemental.” Chiron pointed out. “Are you trying to say Lyric…?” He trailed off; obviously everyone knew where he was going.

 

“Look Chiron, my dad was a True Elemental. We already know it’s hereditary because Atlas was also a True Elemental. We know Lyric is my sister and that I’m not a True Elemental. Why is it such a shock that she is?” Percy was doing that thing where when he’s stressed he rambles and tries to belittle people.

 

“Percy, you need to calm down a little.” Leo said.

 

“Leo, why are you not freaking out?” Percy exclaimed. “She almost killed you back there. Plus you’re closest to her and we both know what happened to the last True Elemental you were close to—“

 

“Shut the fuck up, Perce!” Leo stood right in Percy’s face. “You didn’t know anything about me and Calypso!”

 

“Gentleman, please.” Chiron said, suddenly in between them.

 

“Calypso died on your watch, did she not? It was your job to protect her and you didn’t.” Percy said, over Chiron’s shoulder causing Leo to lunge at him again.

 

“Percy, that was uncalled for.” Chiron turned a stern gaze to Percy. “As tragic as Calypso’s death was, what happened was not Mr. Valdez’s fault.”

 

“All I’m saying is, now we know she’s a True Elemental, we can’t have Valdez in charge of her watch anymore she needs to be more protected. And I’m sorry Leo, but if you want what’s good for her. You’d stay away from her.”

 

**XXX**

“Mom, I’m serious it’s tomorrow. You don’t have to come.” Lyric laughed.

 

“I’m already packing my bag sweetie. I’m going to go get Ellie and we’ll start driving later tonight.”

 

“You’re insane. You guys can’t just drop your job and school and everything.”

 

“I haven’t seen my child in over 2 months, I think they’ll allow me one vacation day.”

 

“Alright then, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” Lyric smiled.

 

“See you soon, sweetie.” Her mom yelled before hanging up the phone.

 

Lyric plopped down on her bed and let out a long sigh before looking at Nico. “What about you? Anyone visiting?”

 

“Who would come? My dad and his new wife who’s only 6 years older than me? No thanks.”

 

“You really have no one else?”

 

Nico shook his head.

 

“That’s unfortunate. You know if you need someone to talk to—“

 

“Can we not do the tragic backstory thing tonight? I’m hungry and it’s dinnertime.”

 

“Yea, let’s go eat.” Lyric laughed.

 

 

 

When Lyric and Nico walked out of the food line and looked at the table she could see all their eyes on her. She know they were talking about her, they all gave her the same weird look that Percy and Leo had given her in the training room, which means they must’ve told the others. Nico starts walking to the table and Lyric stops by grabbing his sleeves.

 

“I’m going to eat in our room.” She tells him, he nods before walking to the table.

 

She’s almost out of the dining hall when Piper is in front of her. “Where do you think you’re going?” she says.

 

“I just figured since everyone’s looking at me weird I was just going to eat in my room.”

 

“Lyric, don’t be ridiculous. Whatever happens you’re still our friend and you still have a spot at our table. So come back and _sit down.”_

 

Lyric was suddenly moving to the table against her will she immediately know Piper had used her charmspeak on her. She sat down at the table and greeted everyone; they all smiled and greeted her back excitedly.

 

Except for Leo.

 

Leo was looking down at his bandaged hands and his untouched dinner. When he looked up, he and Lyric were locking eyes. He looked at her sadly before pushing away and stomping away from the table and marching right out of the dining hall.

 

Lyric’s eyes followed him with shock as he left. “What the hell is his problem?”

 

“I wouldn’t worry about it, Lyric.” Percy said.

 

“I’m going after him.” Lyric said, pushing away.

 

“Lyric, I wouldn’t—“ Piper began but Lyric was already sprinting out of the mess hall.

 

**XXX**

Lyric ran after Leo, who walks surprisingly fast. When she caught up to him, she grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around so he was facing her. He looked upset, like he wasn’t the sunny confidant that he had been for her these past months. That didn’t deter her anger though.

 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Lyric all but yelled in his face. He looked down at her (because she is significantly shorter than him) with wide eyes. “If this is about what happened in training, I’m sorry, but it’s not a good reason to treat me like shit.”

 

“Lyric, just let it go—“

 

“I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be letting go! You won’t talk to me or tell me what your deal is what am I supposed to do?”

 

“Here’s a suggestion, just leave me alone.” Leo said, coldly. He began walking down the hall again.

 

“Oh you’d like that wouldn’t you?” Lyric said, following him.

 

“Yea.” Leo kept walking not turning around. “Listen Lyric—“

 

“No, you listen, what happened to ‘Lyric everyone here is different and no matter how weird you are we’ll still be your friend’ huh? What happened to that?” Lyric yelled.

 

“It’s not the same.” Leo said. “This, us—we’re too different and I can’t do this. Not again.”

 

“What do you mean again?” Lyric yelled. “What can’t you do?”

 

“This!”

 

“Well, I’m going to need some specifics.” Lyric said, sarcastically crossing her arms.

 

“Fine you want specifics? You’re just like _her.”_ Leo all but screamed. “Your smile, your immediate outgoingness, how nice you are to everyone, how you immediately just accepted this life. Even down to you being a True Elemental. You’re way too much like her and I can’t watch someone I lo—like die again. I won’t do it.” Leo sped away from her again.

 

“I am _not_ Calypso.” Lyric yelled after him. He spun around immediately and looked at her with wide eyes. Lyric had never mentioned Calypso because it didn’t feel right. She hadn’t known her and she didn’t even know what happened to her. But saying her name was the only way they were going to be on the same page ever again.

 

“I don’t know what happened to her, I don’t know what she was like. All I know is that she is not _me._ And everyone in this camp needs to realize that, especially you.” Lyric stepped closer to Leo. “I’m not even going to try to understand what happened to you but I’m going to let you know that nothing’s going to happen to me. I know you’re scared but I’m going to stay right by your side and that’s a promise.”

 

Lyric looked Leo in the eye so he could see how serious she was. She could see the tears starting to form in the corner of his eyes and he said nothing.

 

He just kissed her.

 

 


End file.
